Tom Holland’s film, shown on Channel 4 recently, is not a rubbish film; it’s a documentary that records the research Holland has done into the origins of Islam. Click here to watch it on 4oD. The Telegraph reports, “The investigation into the origins of the religion claimed that there is little written contemporary evidence about the prophet Mohammed”. This reminded me that Dr Francesca Stavrakopoulou said more or less the same things about King David in the Old Testament and Jesus and the origins of Christianity in her BBC TV series last year, yet there were no Jewish or Christian mobs baying for her blood – though some American fundamentalists probably would have been rather rude about her, if they’d seen it. Uneducated Muslims in countries like Pakistan, Afghanistan and Libya live in social groups where the men and women are segregated, independence is frowned upon, and a mob mentality is easily developed. It’s taken centuries to get this way; simply being rude about them isn’t going to change anything.

The main Abrahamic monotheistic religions‘ stories have been changed as they’ve been passed down through the generations, like Chinese whispers, so now there’s very little truth in any of them. In spite of this, anyone who dares to say so is likely to be threatened by those who prefer to remain in ignorance than to question the nonsense they’ve been conditioned to believe. One of the biggest problems with all of them is their fundamental sexism, but atheists can be just as guilty of that.

Instead of picking fights with theocracies, it would be better if some of the money currently being spent on military hardware was used to provide education. In the long term, it’s the only thing that can make a difference. Most of the men in the Muslim mobs were taught by imams in madrassas, the only form of schooling they ever had.

“Civilization is in a race between education and catastrophe. Let us learn the truth and spread it as far and wide as our circumstances allow. For the truth is the greatest weapon we have.” – H G Wells

There are book reviews, a report about the popular new Ipswich Café Scientifique, a complaint to the BBC, and a piece about the imaginary ban on crucifixes at work that some Christians are complaining about.

Ten minute topics has always been a popular format. You are invited to suggest a topic for ten minutes of discussion. It can be anything you like. Everyone writes a topic on a scrap of paper and they’re drawn from a hat (or another suitable receptacle). Sometimes this generates ideas that can be followed up at a later date.

A couple of days ago it was reported that Moors murderer Ian Brady had given a sealed envelope to his mental health advocate that may or may not give details of where he’d left the body of his victim Keith Bennett, who was twelve. Today it was announced that Keith’s mother, Mrs Winnie Johnson, had died. Interviewing Mrs Johnson’s solicitor, John Ainley, on BBC News 24, weekend presenter Maxine Mawhinney asked if Brady was religious. Ainley said he wasn’t. Mawhinney said that this meant that Brady wouldn’t have a conscience about his crime or about withholding information about where Keith’s body might be found.

Should we be angry about this sort of thing? It’s the sort of casually judgemental comment that we hear all the time from religious people, but newsreaders ought to know better. A complaint is one its way.

We know there are millions of people in this country who would prefer religion not to interfere in their life and to stay where it belongs – in places of worship and in the homes of worshippers.

There is a definite feeling of discomfort abroad about the way that churches, mosques, temples and other places of worship are putting out tentacles that reach into all our lives – whether it is into our children’s education (another huge increase in the number of ‘faith schools’ is on the way), our taxes (why do churches get special tax privileges, like reduced VAT, when the rest of us are shown no mercy?), our hospitals (why is the NHS paying the salaries of clergy when hospitals are going into administration?), our legislature (why are Church of England bishops involved in making laws that we all have to live by?), and our media (why is religion given such special consideration by the BBC – especially when religious programmes have so few listeners or viewers?).

Leading Australian Young Earth Creationist Ken Ham is visiting Ipswich for an Answers in Genesis conference on 8 August. Ham says that “maths is fundamentally Christian” (not sure what he means by that), that there were dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark but their average size was about the same as a sheep (explaining how there was room), that the universe was created about 6,000 years ago and that Noah’s flood occurred about 4,500 years ago in the year 2348 BC. This is despite gaining a bachelor’s degree in Applied Science, with emphasis in Environmental Biology, through the Queensland Institute of Technology and, in order to begin teaching science in Australian public schools, a diploma in Education from the University of Queensland.

Ham is President of the Answers in Genesis Creation Museum in Petersburg, Kentucky, a project that cost $27million. It was featured in Bill Mahers’ comedy documentary film, Religulous.

It all goes to show that you can give a young man a science education, but it doesn’t make him rational.

If anyone fancies going to the St John the Baptist Church in Cauldwell Hall Road, Ipswich, on 8 August and asking Mr Ham some questions, please let us know.

A group of creationists has gained approval from the Government to open a fully state-funded Free School in 2013. The group are behind the plans for ‘Exemplar – Newark Business Academy’, a revised bid from the same people who proposed ‘Everyday Champion’s Academy’ last year. Everyday Champion’s Academy, which was formally backed by Everyday Champions Church, was explicitly rejected due to concerns surrounding the teaching of creationism.